Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-03-03

lake and the river,
that was not destroyed in the big fire. The
old maj says the fire has not yet been kindled
that will burn him, but opinions differ on this
score.
Long John and Chicago have grown up to-
gether. Both are big and saucy, a trife
wicked, considerably conceited, inclined to
brag, and quite rich. I am sure that in one
respect at least the history of civilization
affords no parallel to the case of Long John.
He, alone of all the great men of the earth,
has lived to see his adopted city grow from a
mere town of 1850 souls to u great metropolis
of thr~ee-quarters of a million.
During all these fifty years Long John has
been one of the most conspicuous figures in
Chicago. A giant in stature-he measures
six feet six and weighs 800 pounds-he has
also been the possessor of vast influence. He
was twice mayor, was in congress four years,
edited a newspaper a number of years, was a
favorite public speaker, a rich real estate
1 owner. a celebrated story teller, the chief of
the old settlers, a recognized authority on all
matters historical and a great man generally.
Long John is and always has been a pict-
uresque character. His stature, his loud
voice, his loquacity, his story telling, his self
conceit, his breeziness and se~nsationalism as a
public speaker and public officer, have SO
spread his fame that visitors to Chicago from
all parts of the Union nave for years and
years asked to have him pointed out to them.
Somewhat of a delnagogue as a politician,
and knowing how to tickle the ears of the
masses, Long John was forever preaching
alih rty and economy" These We're his pass
words, and he uttered them anywhere and
everywhere. When first mayor, in 1857, he
introduced the first fire engine ever seen in
y AZ I.,--. N l. -
aLong John, y and still exists, I believe, In
some old. barn of the fire department.
During his next term he introduced
two more fire engines, and they were named
respectively Liberty" and Economy" As
mayor, Wentworth was always doing some
thing sensational. One night he set the
whole police force at work collecting signs
which were hung over the sidewalks contrary
to law. These. signs were piled up in the
market square, and by morning there was o
stack of them as big as a meeting house.
This incident attracted attention all over the
country, and only the other day ! happened
on q two-page picture of the market square
full of signs, printed in a contemporaneous
Leslie. A queer picture it was, too. Another
of Long Johns. pranks was the discharge OF
the whole police force, from chief down to
lookup keeper, at one fell swoop. This was
done Mt o'clock of a morning, and by noon
next day he had a new force sworn in and
at work.
As a politician he was a slap'em-on-the-
back, tell'em-a-story, ENTHUSIASTICALLY
sort of fellow, and a bad man to Sight. Our
new senator, Farwell, knows this only too
well. Farwell and Wentworth were once ri.
val candidates for congress. In a speech Far.
well had said something about Wentworth,
fondness for whisky, and this reaching the
old settlers ears he retaliated in a novel and
effective manner. At his next meeting he
took from his pockets q pack Of cards and q
lot of poker chips, and, throwing them one
by one among the audience, cried out that
those were the features of political economy
with which Poker Charley" Farwell was
most familiar. or course a laugh followed
and from that day to this Farwell has been
called "Poker Charley Greatly to his dis
gust, too, for a few weeks ago in speaking to
me of Long John he used more harsh word.
than I thought him capable of. Between oui
Oldest settler and our new senator there is q
bitter feud.
Hundreds of stories are told about the ra.y
old man, some Of them Of doubtful founda,,
ton. l have space for but one, which I know
to be a true one, because Long John himself
tells it. In the panic of rs there was a run
on Sol Smiths bank. AT the height of the
excitement a tall form was seen moving down
the street, carrying an immense roll Of bank
notes. 1t was Wentworth. To every one be
met he made tbs remark that die WANT
afraid, begosh, and was just goin' down to
make al deposit with Sol.n The news spread
like wildfre. Arriving at the bank, Long
John lowered above the heads of the clamor.
ous depositors, pushed men out of his way
with his gigantean arms. and called out:
You feliers want money. Stand back an
give me a nance. I want to make q deposit
Of $4,000, begosh.n
In five minutes the arunn was over, and the
bank saved, though its rescuer now confesses
that in that roll of bank notes there was just
one good bill, the outside one, all the Others
being Confederate notes from his museum of
curiosities.
Sfghtseers still ask for Long John and
often find him In the bar room at the Sher.
man house, where he lives. Though. more
than three score and ten, he in IS fond OF
talking as ever he was, and his love of "a
little suthin'n quite as strong. He always
drinks alone, unless some one invites him up,
and has q habit of covering with his raw that
side OF the glass next the b~arkeeper, He has
already survived seventeen bartenders and
two fires at the Sherman house. Once a bar
keeper was about to raise the price on ac-
count of the suspected full glass back Of the
big paw, but Landlord Fearce interfered and
said he always made that kind OF a discount
10 cid settlers and Wholesale customers.
ii WALTER WELLMAM.
49, n -s' ". -<-~----
sZLMhE.lM TsFZ